The official said that Djibouti presently handles about 95 percent of Ethiopia's export-import trade, and the 5.2 billion Ethiopian birr (about 179 million U.S. dollars) road project will further augment Ethiopia's economic growth by leveraging the performance of the eastern trade-route.

The Chinese firm, CGC Overseas Construction (CGC-OC) Group Ltd., which conducted the construction work of the project, was commended for the quality and timely completion of the road, which was 85 percent financed by the Export-Import Bank of China while the remaining 15 percent was covered by the Ethiopian government.

"The contractor finalized all procedures of the road's construction in accordance with the contract agreement, without any compromise to the expected quality," Wondimu said, adding "the project was also transferred to the Ethiopian government within the stated timeframe."

The newly built road upgraded the previously gravel road, which according to Ethiopia's Minister of Transport Dagmawit Moges, had been a major challenge to the general transportation along the eastern economic corridor. The previous bumpy road was highly dented due to frequent flooding and landslide.File photo shows Machines line up during a groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of a 190-km expressway stretching from capital Phnom Penh to the deep-sea port province of Preah Sihanouk in Kampong Speu, Cambodia, March 22, 2019. (Xinhua)ADDIS ABABA, June 19 (Xinhua) -- The newly inaugurated Chinese-built 220-km toll road that connects landlocked Ethiopia to ports in Djibouti will meet Ethiopia's growing import-export needs, an Ethiopian official told Xinhua.Ethiopian Roads Authority (ERA) Communications Director, Samson Wondimu, said on Tuesday the asphalt concrete toll road, which was inaugurated on Sunday, connects Ethiopia's eastern city Dire Dawa to the border town of Dewele neighboring Djibouti."It will significantly meet Ethiopia's growing import-export needs by solving transportation hurdles that hindered the Ethiopia-Djibouti economic corridor from achieving its full potential," Wondimu said.The official said that Djibouti presently handles about 95 percent of Ethiopia's export-import trade, and the 5.2 billion Ethiopian birr (about 179 million U.S. dollars) road project will further augment Ethiopia's economic growth by leveraging the performance of the eastern trade-route.The Chinese firm, CGC Overseas Construction (CGC-OC) Group Ltd., which conducted the construction work of the project, was commended for the quality and timely completion of the road, which was 85 percent financed by the Export-Import Bank of China while the remaining 15 percent was covered by the Ethiopian government."The contractor finalized all procedures of the road's construction in accordance with the contract agreement, without any compromise to the expected quality," Wondimu said, adding "the project was also transferred to the Ethiopian government within the stated timeframe."The newly built road upgraded the previously gravel road, which according to Ethiopia's Minister of Transport Dagmawit Moges, had been a major challenge to the general transportation along the eastern economic corridor. via @XinhuanetNews